Kathy Whitworth
LPGA Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth has won more professional tour victories than any other golfer on either the LPGA or PGA Tours.
Growing up in Jal, New Mexico, Whitworth captured the New Mexico State Women's Amateur in 1957 and 1958.
Kathy boasts 88 careers wins and was the first female player to break the $1 million barrier. She won a total of six major championships. Whitworth was LPGA Player of the Year seven times between 1966 and 1973, won the Vare Trophy for best scoring average by an LPGA Tour Player a record seven times between 1965 and 1972 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1975.
Kathy Whitworth's rookie year on the LPGA Tour was 1959, beginning a career that saw her notch 88 victories, making her the winningest professional golfer of all time. Six of those wins were major championships coming at the 1965 and 1966 Titleholders Championships, the 1967, 1971, and 1975 KPMG Women's PGA Championships, and the 1967 Women's Western Open.
In 1967 at the Raleigh Ladies Invitational, Whitworth earned her 30th title, becoming the second-youngest player to reach 30 career wins at 27 years, 6 months, and 27 days behind Mickey Wright. She also holds the record for most holes-in-one in a career at 11. Kathy was the Tour's leading money winner eight times 1965-1968, 1970-1973) and was the first female golfer to reach $1 million in career earnings in 1981.
Whitworth served as the United States captain for the first U.S. Solheim Cup team in 1990 and was president of the LPGA Tour Player Executive Committee from 1967-1968, 1971, and 1989. Kathy was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 1965 and 1967 and she was inducted into both the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame and the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1975. She's also a member of the New Mexico Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Golf Hall of Fame, and the Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame.
Kathy won the Metropolitan Golf Writers and Golfcasters Gold Tee Award in 1984 and in 1985, earned the William Richardson Award from the Golf Writers Association of America for consistent outstanding contributions to golf. The LPGA Tour gave Whitworth the 1986 William and Mousie Powell Award and the 1987 Patty Berg Award and she was recognized as the "Golfer of the Decade" by Golf Magazine for the years 1968 to 1977 during the 1988 Centennial of Golf in America celebration. In 2006, Whitworth was named the PGA First Lady of Golf and received the Linda Vollstedt Award for Service and Leadership in Women's Sports in 2008.
Whitworth attended Odessa College and won the 1957 and 1958 New Mexico State Amateur Championship before she became professional at 19 years old.
Year of Hall of Fame Induction
1999
Total LPGA Tour Wins
88
Major Championships
Six
LPGA TOUR AWARDS
Seven-time Vare Trophy winner (1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972); seven-time Player of the Year (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973)
World Golf Hall of Fame Induction
1975
Kathy Whitworth Walk of Champions
The walk of champions, located on the walkway behind 18 green, will be renamed the "Kathy Whitworth Walk of Champions" featuring signage of past champions and Whitworth.
Kathy Whitworth Trophy
Designed by Whitworth on a napkin in 2014, the championship trophy is named in her honor. For the past eight years, Whitworth hosted the trophy presentation and presented the trophy to the tournament champion. New for 2023, her signature is engraved on the back of the trophy.
Kathy Whitworth Ticket Program
The Kathy Whitworth Ticket Program encourages local clubs, businesses, golf teams, organizations and individuals to continue serving Whitworth's mission to spread awareness about the game of golf. Accepted applicants will receive complimentary tickets to the tournament and Ascendant LPG promotional materials to help spread tournament awareness. More information on the Kathy Whitworth Ticket Program
"Learn About her Legacy"
Throughout the course and in the tournament hospitality venues during tournament week, fans will be able to get to know more about Kathy Whitworth via a special QR code that will direct fans to a dedicated Kathy Whitworth page on AscendantLPGA.com.
Inside the Ropes Program
The Inside the Ropes program gives fans an opportunity to walk inside the ropes with a group for 18 holes, allowing for a unique and memorable experience. A program that was important to Whitworth in continuing to help grow the game, one group during each round will be dedicated in her honor for an Inside the Ropes experience.
